(1) Video Library > 6. How to Write a Good Argumentative Essay
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Introduction

Why Writing Matters
Organization of This Course
Part 1: A Structured Approach to Successful Essay Writing

Introduction
1. Why Are Writing Skills Important?

Why Good Writers Rule the World
2. What is the Most Efficient Way to Improve My Essay Writing?

The Craft of Writing From 20,000 Feet
The Most Efficient Way to Dramatically Improve Your Essay Writing
Introduction, Main Body, Conclusion: Why Are Essays Written This Way?
How Essay Style is Related to Essay Structure
3. How Should I Approach the Writing Process?

Writing to PRESENT vs Writing to DISCOVER
Why Rewriting is Important (and why students don’t think so)
How to Deal With Writer’s Anxiety and Writer’s Block
4. What is My Ideal Writing Workflow?

The Right Way to Think About Outlining
My Ideal Writing Workflow
Tools for Mind-Mapping, Outlining and Drafting
The Writing Tools I Use: A Quick Introduction to Scrivener and Evernote
5. What Does a Structured Approach to Essay Writing Look Like?

Two Kinds of Essay Structure to Keep in Mind
A Structured Approach to Essay Writing Using Scrivener
A Short Essay Demo Using a Structured Essay Writing Template
6. Follow Along As I Write a Real College Essay From Start to Finish

Writing a Real College Essay: Part 1 - The Assignment
Writing a Real College Essay: Part 2 - Research
Writing a Real College Essay: Part 3 - Outlining
Writing a Real College Essay: Part 4 - Drafts
Writing a Real College Essay: Part 5 - References
7. How Can I Improve My Writing Style?

The #1 Misconception About Writing Style
Oratorical Style, Prophetic Style and Romantic Style
Practical Style, Reflexive Style and Academic Style
Classic Style: Prose as a Window Into the World
Classic Style as an Antidote to Bad Academic Writing
Part 2: How to Write a Good Argumentative Essay (and watch me rewrite a student essay from start to finish)

Introduction
1. Guidelines for Structuring an Argumentative Essay

A Minimal Five-Part Structure
Writing the Introduction
Writing the Conclusion
2. A Sample Essay with Some Problems (and strategies for fixing them)

The Essay: Should Teachers Be Allowed to Ban Laptops in Classrooms?
Analysis: The Introduction
Analysis: Main Body: First Argument
Analysis: Main Body: Second Argument
Analysis: Main Body: Third Argument
Analysis: Main Body: Evaluation and Recommendations
Analysis: The Conclusion
The Essay: Improved Version
The Essay: Improved Version With Commentary
Part 3: How to Cite Sources and Avoid Plagiarism

Introduction
1. What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism: The Basic Definition
Downloading or Buying Whole Papers
Cutting and Pasting From Several Sources
Changing Some Words But Copying Whole Phrases
Paraphrasing Without Attribution
The Debate Over Patchwriting
2. How to Cite Sources

When Should I Cite a Source?
What Needs to be Cited?
How to Cite: Mark the Boundaries
Citing Exact Words
Citing a Longer Quotation
Citing a Source But Not Quoting
A Comment About Common Knowledge
Understanding Citation Styles: MLA, APA, CSE, Chicago, Turabian

1. Guidelines for Structuring an Argumentative Essay

3 Lessons